Anthro Anthology  Tails
by shadowlugia249
Summary: A Tails TF. A teenager buys a strange ring and then meets an unusual fox cub. Shortly after they meet, he starts to feel strange and warm. And when he sees TWO tails on the fox, things start getting much stranger...


**Anthro Anthology – Tails**

_By shadowlugia249_

Author's Note: I ran out of enthusiasm one day and wondered if I could do anything beyond the _"_Magic Shop_"_ series, and I came up with this. This is going to be a series of stories about ordinary people coming into contact with animals of various types, finally turning them into an anthro version of said creature. And after reading Tails230's trademark story, I thought I'd start out with something along the lines of that. Let's see how it turns out. Enjoy!

My name is Rio Caster. I know – it's a strange name. But then again, I am a strange person. I dabble in both video games and local mythology in my spare time. At the moment, I was walking through a local flea market looking for something that I could buy just for the heck of it. I had some money burning a hole in my pocket and I wanted to buy anything that tickled my fancy.

So far, it was rather boring. Most of this stuff was hand-crafted out of whatever people had lying around their houses, so I was not coming up with anything noticeable. I figured if I had seen one homemade craft, I had seen them all. With all of this _"_worthless crap_"_ sitting around, I don't know why I even bothered coming here.

But then I stopped by a small, secluded shop near the outskirts of the flea market that was selling some rather unusual items. It was strange enough for me to stop and take a look.

There was a small selection of items strewn on a small table. I paused and took a look at each one in turn, my curiosity growing with each item.

One of the items was a small, metallic-silver trinket shaped like a pair of wings that could be worn like a necklace. The tag attached to it told me that it was called a _"_Silver Wing_"_. It was pretty, but I turned my attention to the other items.

Another item looked like a huge, T-rex fang on a string, but it didn't look like a fossil at all. It was about as long as my index finger and looked well-polished with a pearl-white sheen. The tag read, _"_Flammie Fang_"_. Huh. Never heard of it.

Another item looked like a large, red gemstone cut into the shape of a burning flame. It looked very expensive and would certainly be way outside _my_ price range. The tag in front of it told me it was a _"_Blaze Flame_"_. The double-meaning words confused me, but I passed by it without a second thought.

Apart from the various trinkets, I noticed a small, glass vial filled with a sapphire-blue liquid. The tag in front of it read _"_Anthro Serum – Be one with your inner animal!_"_ Right...

(Author's Note: Keep a lookout for these items sometime in the future.)

But the thing that caught my eye the most was a small, golden ring with a large, green stone cut into it sitting all by its lonesome. It looked expensive, but I found myself being drawn to it as if it belonged to me. I began to reach towards it as if reaching for a bowl of food.

"Can I help you?_"_

I froze. The owner of the stand had just appeared from behind the curtains behind the stand. He was bearing a hood over his head and the rest of his body was covered in what I figured was a full-body suit of black body armor. It looked kind of futuristic and I could have sworn that I saw something swishing behind him.

The man put his hand over the ring I had been reaching for and pulled it back towards him. I could have sworn that I heard him growl at me as he looked at me from under his hood. There was something... different about this guy. He didn't seem entirely... I don't know how to say it – human, somehow.

"Did you want to buy this?_"_ said the man, picking up the ring and rolling it in-between his thumb and forefinger. _"_It's not something I'm willing to part with lightly._"_

I stared at the ring in his possession, as if possessed by it. I wanted that ring and nothing was going to keep me from it.

The merchant smiled under his hood, revealing very pointed and unusual fangs. _"_This is what you want, yes? I can see the desire to own it in your eyes. Maybe we can strike up a deal somehow._"_

I immediately went for my checkbook. _"_I'll pay anything for it! Anything! Just name your price!_"_

The merchant chuckled darkly. _"_Very well. I'll set the price at $25 even. Can you afford that?_"_

Already, I was scribbling a check out to the stand – _"_Anthro Anthology_"_ for that exact amount. I didn't care that it was so cheap; I wanted it! Tearing off the check, I handed it to the merchant, who took it and placed it inside a metal box under the counter before putting the ring in a small, fabric bag and handing it to me. I felt a momentary sense of relief before I was suddenly seized by the merchant by the shoulders of my shirt and brought dangerously close to him.

I had a brief moment of panic before the merchant flung back his hood, revealing an impossible sight. What should have been a human skull was instead that of a red fox! I could see every fine strand of red or white fur on its face and I even saw a vulpine muzzle with a cold, wet, black nose on the end of it. I saw two pointed ears atop its head and its eyes were a shinning gold color. But right now, they were looking at me with a fierceness and an intensity that I had never seen in an animal before. I guess that answers the question of what I saw behind him. It must have been his tail.

The vulpine merchant held me dangerously close to its muzzle so that I was being held a few inches off the ground and I could feel its hot, spicy breath on my face.

"You'd better beware, Rio Caster. If anything happens to that ring that suggests that it has been abandoned, I will not stop until I have hunted you down and claimed vengeance for your misconduct. You hear me?!_"_ he added with a snarl. _"_I _will_ know what happens after you leave my stand today! Do _not_ forget it!_"_

I whimpered and nodded my head. I was confused as to why no one was reporting this mutant manhandling me over something that I had honestly bought. Without his hood, he was rather hard to miss.

The fox-man stared at me for a while and then gently set me back down and released me. And then in a perfectly calm voice, he said, _"_It was a pleasure doing business with you. Now be on your way. I have things to do._"_

I was too terrified to run. Instead, I simply turned around and walked slowly away. I had just been manhandled by a freak of nature and survived. I didn't know how lucky I was at that time and casually walked away, the ring in its bag in my trembling hands.

(Author's Note: If you need a point of reference, take a look at JaxxBlackFox's gallery and look for a piece called _"_Spacer Fox_"_. It shows a picture of an anthro fox in black body armor standing posed with a blaster in its hand in a snowy environment.

The fox merchant, who was also known as Vega, replaced his hood and watched Rio walk away. But before he got out of his sight, he drew a long, black blaster out of a holster at his side and pointed it at Rio's back. Pulling back the hammer, he took careful aim at the dead-center of Rio's back and pulled the trigger...

...apart from a small _click_ of the hammer of the blaster, nothing happened. It looked like he had misfired, but Vega knew what had happened. He had just fired a psychic shot of energy at Rio, completely wiping all memory of his... eventful encounter from his mind.

Vega replaced the blaster and disappeared behind the curtains. He was completely harmless, but he needed to be strict for a reason. On more than one occasion, people who bought from him have ended up mishandling the items he sold them with very embarrassing consequences. He had been treated very strictly growing up in seclusion and used the same tactics to run his business. He was actually very calm and mysterious when you got to know him, but he became aggressive and unpredictable whenever selling his merchandise. It was part of his mantra: _"_Life is cruel – I just get the cruel part over and done with._"_

Now that he had successfully sold another one of his mythical items, he could pack up shop again and move onto where he was needed next. He would be back for Rio later when he needed him. But until then, Vega was just another Anthromorph in the wind.

Just before I disappeared from sight of the strange stand, I suddenly felt my mind flash and all of the merchant's _"_unusual_"_ details were wiped from my mind along with his _"_threat_"_. Within a few seconds, I was just another customer of _"_Anthro Anthology_"_ who didn't know any better.

I decided to take a walk in the woods before I went back to my car. I don't know what drew me there, but I just felt like going for a walk before I called it a day. All the while, I decided to try on the ring I had just bought just for the heck of it.

It was like it had been made for me. It slid over my right ring finger like an easy-on glove. I wiggled my fingers, taking in the wonder of the ring for a while before I continued on my walk.

But the instant I stopped thinking about the ring, I felt a sudden pressure in my chest as if someone had just taken a sledgehammer to it. I was even thrown clean off my feet for a good five feet before I came to a rest on the hard earth ground. I felt a little lightheaded and my limbs felt a little numb from the experience.

I finally stopped hurting enough to get back to my feet. What was _that_ all about? It was like I had been attacked by something completely unseen and survived to talk about it. I looked around to see what had hit me, but whatever it was was long gone. It didn't make any sense.

On instinct, I turned my attention back to the ring on my finger. I blinked and stared hard at it before it finally clicked. The gem on it had gone from a shining emerald-green to a jet-black that was darker than any other black I had seen before. I was immediately outraged that that merchant had sold me a cheap ring for 25 bucks. And if I knew cheap crooks, he was probably long gone by now.

"Great!_"_ I said, throwing up my hands. _"_Just great!_"_

Since the ring was no longer of any value, I started to take it off and chuck it into the woods, but for some reason, I couldn't do it. It was like there was an unseen force preventing me from letting the ring leave my hand and I couldn't beat it. After trying and failing to throw it away, I sighed and put it back on my finger. I would deal with this later.

I was about to head back to my car when I spotted a strange sight – a small, gold-furred fox cub was standing in front of me, looking up at me like I was something interesting. I had normally known foxes to be very wary of humans, but this one didn't seem to think of me as a threat.

"Whatcha up to, little guy?_"_ I said, looking down at it.

The cub simply tilted its head and continued to look at me.

Feeling that it would not run away, I squatted down to its level, pausing as it backed up a little. But when I reached its level, it simply looked up at me again.

"Do you have a family, little guy?_"_

No response. Just a cute vulpine smile.

I wasn't sure what to make of my little visitor, but it obviously was finding me very interesting. It continued to look at me while giving a fox-like growl.

Deciding to go against the ways of nature, I reached out my hand to pet it. It didn't even flinch as I put it in front of its nose. It simply sniffed me for a moment and then put its head under my palm.

Bad move.

For the second time in a row, I found my feet leaving the ground as I flew back about _ten_ feet this time. I had just felt like I had gotten the shock of my life and it hit me hard in the heart for the second time. When I landed, the little fox came running up to check on me.

"Ohh... what hit me... again?_"_ I said, sitting up and feeling even sorer than last time. The fox climbed up on my lap and brushed itself against my stomach. _"_Did _you_ do that?_"_ I asked it, staring at its cute golden eyes.

Still no response. The cub climbed up and placed its front paws on my chest, giving my face a little lick. Against my better judgment, I put my hand on its head again to try my luck at petting it again.

This time, nothing happened. I was able to stroke in-between the fox's black-tipped ears without any consequences. It was nice and fuzzy for a cub and it rubbed against my hand like it was a cat.

"You're really weird, you know that?_"_ I told it, looking it in its golden eyes. _"_I think you'd better get back to your family._"_

I got to my feet and nudged the fox off with my foot before turning and walking away. But before I got very far, I heard a loud whine. Looking back, I saw that the fox was standing behind me again on its haunches, looking hurt.

I figured it was nothing, so I continued on. But I hadn't gotten more than a few steps before I heard the fox whining loudly again and I had to look back.

It looked like the cub was _following_ me from a short distance away and was stopping whenever I stopped. I started walking again, but I didn't take my eyes off of it. Sure enough, it started walking after me again and I had to turn completely around and confront it.

"I'm sorry, little guy, but my landlord strictly says _"_No pets_"_. I can't take you back with me._"_

The fox ignored my answer and came over to rub its body against my leg. It didn't want me to go and it would do anything to be with me.

I wanted to just leave it, but I felt like I would be leaving behind a friend, of which I had plenty. I suddenly felt horrible for trying to abandon it and I knew it had already imprinted on me.

Sighing, I squatted down to pet it again. _"_I suppose what my landlord doesn't know won't hurt her. She lives in the next building and she doesn't exactly come and visit whenever she wants._"_ I finally relented and held my arms out for it. _"_Come on, little guy. Let's get you home._"_

The fox barked with joy and leaped into my arms like a small dog going with its master. I started walking again, but this time, I had an unexpected passenger. I had once had a dog while I was growing up. How much harder could it be to raise a fox?

Off in the underbrush, Vega the Anthro Fox watched Rio and the fox cub walk back to Rio's car. He felt a sense of satisfaction welling up inside him and knew that his latest customer was off on his own journey. He would check back on him sometime down the road, but right now, he had other customers waiting.

Fingering a small, gold pendant on a chain in his paw, he pocketed the trinket, stepped back into the brush and vanished from the area with stealth that only he could pull off.

I was able to sneak Miles into my apartment by disguising him as bunch of blankets I had had in my car. Yes, I called him _"_Miles_"_ after the legendary Miles _"_Tails_"_ Prower of the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series. You'd be surprised what countless hours of playing games like this can do for one's imagination. smirk

But unlike Tails Power, Miles only had one tail and he was missing a few things that made him what he is. Tails always wore a pair of white gloves wherever he went, but Miles simply had a pair of black _"_socks_"_ over all of his paws. Miles also lacked the same footwear that Tails had and had to go barepaw like every other fox. And while Tails' ears had been golden all the way, Miles' ears were tipped with black fur that made him look slightly sinister somehow.

But despite their appearances, Miles was just fine with me. He had the same shade of golden-yellow fur that Tails did and he had the same white patches in the same places as Tails did as well. So it was only fitting that he get the first name of the fox of legend.

As soon as I unwrapped him from under the blankets, Miles leaped right out of my hands and made straight for the couch where he curled up on the armrest and dozed off. I couldn't help but smile at him. He was pretty cute for a fox and I doubted that he would be much trouble with my landlord.

While Miles slept, I went behind my TV and began unhooking my Gamecube from it and packing it in a small suitcase that I used for transporting it. I was scheduled to go to a party tonight that my friends were having just for the fun of it. It was going to take place at my best friend Skyle's house and last most of the night.

For those of you already asking, this is not going to be your regular beer-binge-and-babe party. We were more mature than that. No, _this_ party was going to be a _"_game-and-gobble_"_ party. My friends were getting together with their favorite video game systems and we were all going to have a string of tournaments on various games through multiple multi-player modes,. There were going to be six main TVs set up around the house – one for each of the main game systems out there: Xbox 360, Playstation 2, Playstation 3, Wii, Nintendo 64 and the one I was responsible for bringing – the Gamecube. Our choices of games for each system were as follows: Xbox 360 – Halo 2, PS2 – Ratchet: Deadlocked, PS3 – Dirt, Wii – Mario Party 8, N64 – Perfect Dark, and for Gamecube, my personal favorite – Super Smash Bros. Melee. True, it didn't have Tails in it, but we would all be having a special Wii party once Super Smash Bros. Brawl finally came out.

And for those who prefer to fly solo, half of us have volunteered our Game Boy Advances and Nintendo DS's for those who prefer to go wireless.

The party was unsupervised, but all of us had deemed ourselves responsible enough to take care of ourselves. We had all taken years out of our lives to prove that we were responsible enough to be out on our own. I just wish that most people would take after our example and sober up enough to have a clean, honest, good-time party. Oh well...

When I was all packed up, I rummaged around in my fridge for a light snack before the gorging began. I didn't want to stuff myself too much before the party even started. While I was in the fridge, I felt a sudden furry feeling brushing against my ankle. Looking down, I spotted Miles rubbing against my leg, begging for a snack.

"I can't leave you alone for a moment, can I?_"_ I said smiling at the tiny kit. _"_All right, Let's see what we can find for you._"_

I picked up Miles and held him in one arm while I scouted for something for him to eat. Miles eventually locked onto a jar of strawberry preserves that I used for sandwiches.

"Does that look good? Do you like sweet berries?_"_

Miles barked happily and tried to worm his way out of my grip.

"All right! Just stop squirming!_"_

I set the cub down on the floor and grabbed the jar of jelly. With Miles in hot pursuit, I carried it over to a counter and pulled out a small dessert bowl. I tipped a fair amount of preserves into the bowl and brought it down to Miles' level. He immediately went at the sweet juice like he was starving, lapping it up with a small, red tongue. Pretty soon, he had finished the whole thing and was looking up at me, whining for more.

I stubbornly shook my head. _"_Sorry, Miles. I can't let you eat that much _all_ the time. You'll get sick and I'll be eaten out of my wallet._"_

Miles' expression fell. He tried to butter me up with another rub against my leg, but I wasn't changing my mind. Finally admitting defeat, Miles nudged the bowl towards me and looked up at me with a normal look.

"You still hungry?_"_ Miles barked in response. _"_All right, let's see what we can find._"_

I went back to the fridge and pulled out a package of half-eaten lunch meat ham. Offering it to the fox, I got a positive bark in response and pulled out a slice to put in his bowl. Miles took a little longer with this meal, but when he was done, he did not ask for more.

"That's better. I thought you'd like that. Now that you're fed, it's time for _my_ supper._"_

By now, the water was boiling and I dumped a fair amount of noodles into it. When it was done, I mixed them with butter and salt like I always do and ate them at the table like I normally did.

But while I was eating, a sudden yelp distracted me. It seemed that Miles had gotten into a fierce wrestling match with a throw pillow. I watched him tumble and bite at it in this unfair size disadvantage. Miles finally separated from it and gave it a staredown, daring it to attack him. When it didn't, he lost interest in it and sauntered off into the next room. I shook my head at the cub. If only I could understand his world, I might be able to communicate better with him. Oh well...

When I was done eating, I grabbed my Gamecube and my DS and made for the door. But Miles had appeared out of nowhere and looked like I was walking out on him.

"I don't know if I can take you, Miles. Skyle likes his house to stay clean._"_ When Miles laid his head in-between his paws and started whimpering, I finally gave in. _"_All right! You can come with. Honestly, you're never going to get anywhere in life by begging for it._"_

Miles simply climbed up my arm and settled himself on my shoulder. He dug his claws painfully into my shirt and I carried him and the suitcase out to my car. I wasn't sure how Skyle would react to having a wild animal in his house, but since we were best friends, I figured he would understand.

The party was in full swing when I arrived. People were carrying in on as always and a number of them were already playing various systems in other rooms as I made my way through to the living room. Here, there were three TVs set up for the Wii, the Nintendo 64 and my Gamecube. When people saw my game case, they cheered and I suddenly became their new _"_best_"_ friend.

"Hey, Rio! You made it!_"_ said Pamela Anderson, patting me on the back.

"What took ya?_"_ said Mark Ramos, taking the Gamecube case from me to set up. _"_You almost missed the start of the tournament!_"_

"I had a little stowaway,_"_ I said, bracing for the inevitable. I had placed Miles in my suitcase just before I came inside. When it opened, their reaction was more admiration than surprise.

"Oh, he's sooo cute!_"_ said Pamela. _"_He's such a little darling!_"_

"He'll be a perfect playmate for that other one that Skyle has,_"_ added Mark's brother, Mike Ramos.

"Other one?_"_ I asked, confused. _"_Mark has a fox, too?_"_

"Not exactly,_"_ said a familiar voice behind me. _"_Seryn's a little different than your playmate is._"_

I didn't even have to turn around to know who _that_ was. _"_How're ya doin', Skyle?_"_ I said, turning around to acknowledge my best friend.

"I'm goin',_"_ he said, shaking my hand firmly. _"_I see that you brought a fox. What's the deal? I thought you didn't have a pet._"_

I was about to answer when I spotted something camping out on _his_ shoulder. It looked like a mixture of a bear, a fox, a bird and a dragon. It had creamy-yellow fur with orange plating from under its throat to the tip of its thick tail. Its paws were thick and bear-like and it had not two, but _four_ large, feathery wings sticking out of its back.

Its face was just darling and only rivaled Miles' in terms of cuteness. It had a pair of curious baby-blue eyes with a pair of pointed fangs sticking out of the top of its short muzzle. It had a pair of small, deer-like ears and had a mane of thick, goldenrod-yellow fur on top of its head.

"Who's the cutie?_"_ I said, instinctively reaching under its chin to scratch it. It cooed and brushed up against my hand. _"_I've never seen something like _that_ before._"_

Skyle looked at the creature and repeated my gesture. _"_Rio Caster, meet Seryn the Flammie. I bought her from a strange guy in a hood. She seemed kind of lonely and the guy told me that she was one of the last of her species.

"A Flammie? I can't say I ever heard of one. I found Miles in the woods just this morning. How long have you had Seryn?_"_

Skyle shrugged. _"_Since yesterday. She's my perfect companion. I never go anywhere without her perched on my shoulder. People give me funny looks, but as long as she's not hurting anyone, I'm just fine with that._"_

I looked at Seryn, who was smiling happily at me from atop Skyle's shoulder. The two of us stared at each other for a moment before Seryn let out a squeal and leaped straight into my chest! I was unprepared for the flying furball and stumbled backwards a little with her clinging to my shirt.

"Seryn!_"_ said Skyle, coming to take her off of me. But he stopped when he saw Seryn licking my face with a cute, flat, pink tongue. He smiled. _"_It looks like she likes you._"_

I listened to Seryn purr and give my cheek a manual cleaning. I also noticed how soft her fur was. Not even Miles had anything on this kind of fur. She also smelled faintly of vanilla.

"I've never had anyone else's pet _"_attack_"_ me like this. It seems that I'm her kind of person._"_ Seryn continued to purr as Skyle took her off my chest.

"Come on, girl. Why don't you go off and play with Alex's fox? Where is he, by the way?_"_

"I'm sure he's around here SOMEWHERE!!!_"_ I yelped when I felt a second furball come out of nowhere and latch onto my leg. Looking down, I saw the guilty form of Miles hanging onto my pants leg, trying to claw his way up to me.

I relieved him of his attempt and held him up to face Seryn. _"_Miles, this is my best friend, Skyle Kelvin and his Flammie, Seryn. Say hello._"_

The two beasts stared at each other as Skyle and I held them close to each other. Seryn's expression was that of curiosity and Miles' was that of interest. Finally, Miles took a swipe at Seryn's mane with his paw and Seryn batted back. The two of them then leaped from their owner's arms and went into a tussle, landing on the couch and rolling off onto the floor.

"Well, that went well,_"_ said Skyle as we watched the two of them roll away between the legs of some people playing Mario Party 8.

"At least we know that they can live together,_"_ I added as the two of them disappeared.

"That's good,_"_ Skyle added. _"_They seem to get along with each other and that's all that matters._"_

"Yeah... Hey, wanna go play Smash Bros.?_"_

Skyle patted me on the back. _"_Tournament with the Ramos Brothers sound fine?_"_

I smiled at his challenge. _"_You're on. I call Mr. Game and Watch._"_

Skyle frowned. _"_You _always_ play as him! Don't you ever get tired of a digital character?_"_

I chuckled. _"_Not at all. Let's go get Mark and Mike._"_

The two of us located the twins Mark and Mike Ramos and initiated a 64-man Tournament on Super Smash Bros. Melee. I chose Mr. Game and Watch while the others went for Marth, Ness and Ganondorf. They didn't know what they were getting themselves into. Ignoring an itch on my chest, I started out my first round against a computer-controlled Fox. It was just a matter of time before I faced Skyle or one of the Ramos Brothers in the semi-finals or the finals.

By the time I defeated Mike Ramos and made it to the finals against Skyle, I was starting to feel uncomfortable with this itch on my chest. It felt like my chest was burning and I could barely ignore it anymore. When I went into the finals against Skyle, I took a moment's pause to take my hand away from the controller to scratch it, and that was all Skyle needed. He had a Bob-omb in his grip and was on a mission to hit me with it. My damage percentage was at 105 and it took a half-second for me to stop moving before Skyle hit me dead-center with that bomb. Not only did I lose the match, but I was thrown into what they call a _"_Star Finish_"_ where your character is blown sky-high and ends in a faint star on the horizon.

Skyle was a good sport, but I was in a foul mood. I had stopped moving for just a moment to scratch this killer itch and I paid for it with Skyle's win. When he made to shake my hand, I did it quickly and made a beeline for the bathroom. I couldn't ignore this itch any longer and had to see what was causing it.

Meanwhile, Skyle had disappeared from the party and never reappeared. He had gone to his room and shut and locked the door. I didn't understand why he had done this, but I had my own problems to deal with now.

While I was in the bathroom, I had pulled off my shirt to see what was up. But what I saw nearly knocked me for a loop. In the exact middle of my chest was a patch of soft, gray...

"Is that... _fur?!_ I HAVE FUR?!?!_"_ I could hardly believe it! I was growing a patch of real-life _fur_ like a wild animal!

Not only that, but it was starting to spread. It started at my chest and then erupted all over my torso. It spread like wildfire all over my front and back, changing from gray to a sterling-silver shade on the rest of my body. It hesitated at my shoulders for a moment and then resumed its sluggish pace down my arms. The places where the skin changed into fur was itching like crazy.

I had to get out of here. I was turning into an animal before my very eyes and someone was bound to notice. I quickly put my shirt back on and made a beeline for the door. But then I stopped. I was forgetting Miles! I couldn't leave him here on his own, even _if_ I was turning into an animal!

Feeling the fur start to creep slowly over my shoulders, I realized I was on a time limit. I had to find Miles before anyone saw me. I shuffled through the other people while looking for the fox cub.

It took about two minutes for me to find him. By then, the fur was threatening to grow past my T-shirt and into plain sight. I didn't have a coat with me, so I couldn't conceal it when it got that far. Miles was playing a modified version of tag with Seryn while others watched them. Miles would tap Seryn on the tail and then run around the clearing for her to do the same to him.

"Come on, Miles,_"_ I said, stepping in the circle. _"_We have to go _now."_

There were some disappointed groans from the others and a sad look from Miles, but I was not in any mood for such nonsense. I scooped up Miles and was at the door in ten seconds. The fur on my arms was just starting to show itself by the time I got the door open. Thankfully, no one noticed it.

I made it to my car and peeled out of the driveway. I didn't know how long I had before I fully became an animal – the silver fur was starting to work its way up my neck and down my thighs – but I had to get back to my apartment before that happened. Miles looked out of the window with longing, his two tails swishing behind him, but I didn't have time to pay attention to him.

I got home just as the fur on my arms and legs started to turn black at my wrists and ankles. It had also started to creep over my face and I could feel an uncomfortable bulge poking out of my backside. I had a feeling that I was going to have a tail before long and I wanted to get undressed before that happened.

I set Miles on the floor and closed all of the blinds. I didn't want anyone looking in while I was mutating in here. By the time I was ready, the fur had reached my face, hands and feet and my _"_tail_"_ was just about ready to burst out of my pants. Without hesitation I pulled off my shirt, pants and underwear and threw them to one side.

(Author's Note: To avoid description, let's just assume that he's turning into an animal without visible... you get the idea.)

Just as the fur reached the tips of my body, I suddenly felt like every bone in my body was breaking. I hit the floor with a yell and tried to move, but my nervous system had been thrown out of whack and I was completely motionless. To add to the discomfort, the bones in my hands started to grind together and my fingers started to shorten. They were shrinking into short, nubby digits and I could feel the areas under it start to crack and crystallize. Soon, I had a pair of black, leathery pads just like a dog did. Also, the bones in my arms had snapped in several places and were thinning out and folding on top of each other, reducing them to a fraction of what they used to be.

The same sensation was happening with my legs and feet, but this time, the joints in my feet were shifted upwards, making them slightly digitigrade. It wasn't any more enjoyable to bear, though. I was in utter agony as my bones folded over each other and became stronger but much smaller. And if that was the worst that was happening, the feeling of two of my digits fusing together to form just four instead of five was clearly one of _the_ most painful steps in the process.

While all this was going on, my chest was practically on fire. My ribs were shrinking, compressing the rest of my torso with it. My organs lost some of their mass and I was shrinking along with the rest of my body. Most of my organs did not change, but they took residence in different parts of my torso to align themselves in my new form.

As my torso finished its changing, I could feel the bones in my face trying to burst out of my skin. It was slow, agonizing torture as my face pushed itself out, my nose changing shape, texture and color. Each of my teeth were burning at the roots, sharpening from various shapes into sharp, pointed incisors. My jaw felt as if it was slowly being yanked out of my mouth as it finished up into a distinct canine muzzle. Finally, my ears had been on the move, shifting position to the top of my head where they took on a pointed appearance and sharpened my hearing ten-fold. They also topped themselves with fur and had a black-tipped appearance just like...

But I was not quite done yet. The bulge in my backside finally broke through and blossomed into not one, but _two_ thick, bushy, silver-furred tails with a pair of gray tips not unlike that of a fox. When the tails reached their full size and thickness, the pain finally stopped. There was a moment of numbness while my brain recalibrated itself and then it was all over.

I lied there for a moment, whimpering and crying from the experience. What could I have possibly done to deserve such torture? I was a good person and I had been changed against my will into an animal. What did I ever do to deserve this fate?

I heard a small whimper that did not belong to me nearby. I opened my eyes and saw Miles standing near me, rubbing up against me to comfort me.

"Miles?_"_ I tried to say, but all that came out was a small growl. Oh no! I couldn't speak! I really WAS an animal! My whole life was ruined! I couldn't go out in public anymore! How could this get any worse?!

Miles tried to comfort me by licking my face. Normally, I would have been against such treatment, but the fact that I still had a friend in this life made it that much more bearable.

I finally mustered the strength to get to my feet. But my new body didn't work like it used to. I could only function on all fours just like a fox should be, but I would worry about that later. I had to find a mirror to see what I looked like.

Miles followed me into my bedroom where I instinctively hopped from the floor to my bed to my dresser. When I saw what I looked like, I let out a wail of despair.

I _was_ a fox! But there was something different about me. I looked almost exactly like Miles did, but where he was golden-yellow, I was sterling-silver. Also, wherever he was white, my shade was that of a pale gray. But the two of us were still identical down to our...

Wait... did foxes _supposed_ to have two tails? I turned myself so I could see them and saw that it was true. I had a pair of large, bushy tails sticking out of my backside. I could move them both on their own by adjusting my tailbone, but they seemed to do better when they moved on their own.

Not only that, but Miles had two tails as well. I had thought that he had only had one. Thinking back, I remembered that he had had two tails while I was taking him back home.

Miles looked up at me from the floor and barked at me. I was not very fluent in the vulpine's method of speech, so I did not understand what he was saying. I sighed and jumped down onto the floor, landing neatly on all four paws like a cat.

Then I wondered... _I_ might not be able to understand _him,_ but could _he_ understand _me?_ It was worth a try. I turned to face him.

"Miles... can you understand me?_"_ I said, only hearing yipping and barking.

Miles didn't appear to understand at first, but then, he nodded and tried to reply.

I sighed and shook my head. _"_Sorry, I can't understand you._"_

Miles frowned and gave me a sorry look. This was only going to work if I told him what I could and he found some other way to respond.

"Do you know what happened to me, Miles?_"_

He nodded. I wanted to know what he knew, but at the moment, that was impossible.

"Let's just find somewhere to sleep. It's very late and I feel tired after that ordeal._"_

Miles nodded and took off for the living room. I followed him, bounding along like _"_my_"_ species always did. When we got to the living room, Miles grabbed the blanket I had brought up from my car and pulled it over himself. I realized that I was too short to reach the light switch and I would have to sleep in the light for tonight. Miles had the only blanket and he was already curled up inside it. I knew that I was on my own this time, so I reluctantly curled up on the rug and tried to go to sleep. I didn't know how I was going to make it in my new life, but I would figure that out in the morning. Right now, I just wanted to try and sleep.

I don't know how much time had passed before I woke up in complete darkness. I don't know how the light had been turned off, but it was much more pleasant to sleep in. I was going to go back to sleep when my ears twitched, picking up a faint yet foreign sound. There was someone in my apartment!

I looked through the living room for the source of the noise, thanking my new form for this faint yet helpful night vision. I thought I heard it coming from my room, but I didn't want to do this alone. Walking over to Miles, I put a paw on his back and nudged him gently.

"Miles!_"_ I whispered. _"_Miles! Wake up! There's someone in here!_"_

Miles' eyes were open in a flash, but his expression was that of annoyance. He growled in frustration and looked up at me, his face telling me to explain myself.

"There's someone in this apartment. I... I can smell him._"_

I took the moment to do that. Sure enough, I could smell the faint odor of worn leather and a strange furry smell mixed in with it. It smelled vaguely familiar, but I could not put a name to it.

Miles finally decided to get up and follow me into my bedroom, where I did my best to look for the source of the disturbance. He waited patiently in the doorway, watching me look around in the dark. I could tell that he was not too happy with being woken up like this, which is probably why he didn't join me in my search.

There was something missing here. I could have sworn that I had heard the intruder in here and his smell was strong in this room, but there was no one here other than Miles and me. I didn't want to give up, but a frustrated growl from Miles finally told me to call it a night.

"Alright! So I was wrong! But I could have sworn that I heard _something_ in here!_"_

But just as Miles and I were about to leave the room, Miles' ears suddenly perked up and he took off towards the living room.

"Miles! Wait for me!_"_

When I finally got there, I was surprised to find Miles sitting in the middle of the living room, looking up at the couch.

"Miles, what's going on?_"_

"Is that any way to treat a guest?_"_

My heart nearly stopped beating. There _was_ someone in here and he was sitting on the couch in front of me! When I looked up, I saw the figure of a person that looked like a cross between a fox and a space warrior sitting on my couch! (Author's Note: This is the same Vega that sold Rio the ring that did this to him in the first place, but he doesn't remember that, remember?) I stared up at the figure with my hackles raised in preparation to fight the intruder.

But he didn't seem to want to fight. _"_You don't want to do that, Rio. I could wipe the floor with you as you currently are without even getting my paws dirty._"_

"Who are you?!_"_ I barked at him, forgetting that he couldn't understand me...

...but against all odds, he could!

"I'm just an old friend that is checking back on one of my customers. You seem to have gone through the first part of the transformation without much trouble._"_

I blinked. He had not only understood me, but he had known about my transformation!

"How do you know me?_"_

The fox-man sighed and put his arms behind his head to get comfortable. _"_I know much more than who you are. I know what you are becoming, what you are thinking and what you can do to change this._"_

"Say what?!_"_ I could hardly believe what he was telling me. _"_You mean... _you_ did this to me?!_"_

The figure sighed and looked down at me. _"_I did, in fact, but _you_ were the one who wanted to become an anthromorph in the first place. As far as I know, I have done nothing wrong._"_

I was already starting to dislike this creature. He was cocky and felt that he was above the laws of the world.

But I was caught off-guard when he looked at Miles and smiled. _"_It's nice to see you again, Miles. Come up here; I've got something for you._"_

Miles yipped happily and jumped onto the couch. The figure gave him a few good strokes along the back before he dug in a pocket in his suit for something.

"Where did I put it? I just had it and I've gone and lost it already. Let's see... Ah!_"_ He pulled a small object out of his pocket and held it between his thumb and forefinger.

I immediately knew what that was. _"_Hey! That's mine!_"_ I barked at him. He was holding the same ring that I had been wearing when this had all started happening.

The figure smiled and looked down at me. _"_That's correct, Rio. But since this ring has already used up its power for you, I figured that it goes back to its rightful owner._"_

I frowned at him and growled threateningly. But he didn't seem to be bothered by it. He took Miles' paw in his hand and carefully slid the ring onto his wrist. At first, I thought it would have been too small, but then, it seemed to grow by itself for a moment as he slid it on before shrinking back to wrap itself around Miles' black-socked wrist. Miles then jumped down off of the figure's lap onto the floor before he suddenly started quivering.

"What did you do to him?!_"_ I yelled at him as best I could.

He snorted. _"_You jump to conclusions too quickly. Watch._"_

I looked at Miles and saw to my amazement that he was growing! He had grown a little from his three-foot frame to about a four-foot frame. Not only that, but with a motion like a person standing up and stretching, Miles seemed to _"_stand up_"_ on his back paws without falling over. He had changed from a regular quadrupedal fox to a hybrid bipedal one. His tails and his coloring pretty much stayed the same.

In my opinion, Miles now looked more like his two-tails relative, Miles _"_Tails_"_ Prower than ever before. The only differences were that he was not wearing any gloves or shoes and that his paws and ear tips were colored black.

Miles looked a little woozy after his transformation, but he seemed to recover rather quickly. He then turned to the fox-figure and did the unthinkable.

"Thank you, Vega. I will cherish this._"_

"Vega_"_ nodded. _"_You've earned it, Miles. You worked hard for me and finally earned it. Unlike your friend here._"_ He turned to look at me with an expression that infuriated me.

"Hey! How come _he_ gets to speak and walk on two feet?! I was changed against my will here!_"_

Miles appeared to have understood me, but he stayed out of the conversation.

"You aren't ready for it, Rio,_"_ said Vega, scoffing at me. _"_I only give a full form to those who have earned it._"_

I was so angry that I actually started crying. I couldn't believe the injustice here! I had been transformed into a two-tailed fox against my will while Miles had gotten a royal treatment and _"_earned_"_ the right to walk and talk on two feet instead of me. It _was not_ fair!

But Vega growled low at me and picked me up by the back of my neck. _"_You're jumping to conclusions, young Rio. I didn't say that you _couldn't_ change back, but I'm not willing to part with the tool for peanuts. You'll have to come up with the money on your own._"_

It was my turn to growl and snap at him, kicking at squirming fruitlessly in his iron grip. _"_I'll pay anything! Just turn me back!_"_

But Vega scoffed again. _"_I'm not taking any money that you earned in your old life. You're a kitsune now, so do what kitsunes do._"_

I stopped and looked at him. I had heard about what kitsunes were known for. _"_Steal it?!_"_

The corners of Vega's muzzle twitched into a smile. _"_You got it. If you want to change back, you're going to have to steal the money. It will both provide the funds you need and prove that you are worthy of being an anthro._"_

I frowned. _"_And just what am I supposed to buy with this _"_stolen_"_ money?_"_

Vega finally set me back down on the floor and I scampered over to Miles. Miles reached down and picked me up in his paws. I did not object. He was much gentler than Vega was and the feeling of fur on fur seemed to comfort me more than leather on fur.

Vega reached a paw into his pocket and pulled out a small item and held it out for me to examine._"_ It looked kind of like the Rhythm Badge that Tails could acquire on _"_Sonic Adventure DX_"_ to do a Rapid-Tails Attack. It was violet in color and had a pair of purple feathers attached to the bottom of it. But unlike the real deal, this one looked more like a charm than anything else. It was about the size of Mile's paw and was made completely out of metal. Not only that, but it was attached to a gold chain that was too short to be for a necklace, but just long enough to wrap around my paw like a bracelet.

"That's it?_"_ I said, frowning at the small trinket. _"_It doesn't look that expensive._"_

Vega allowed me to get super-close to the charm with my paw before pulling it out of my reach. _"_You would think that, but the magic that I used on this charm took a _lot_ of time out of the worst month of my life. I will not let it go for a cent less than what it is worth._"_

"And what _is_ it worth?_"_

Vega simply shook his head. _"_We'll discuss it when you have the money for it. Not a moment sooner._"_

Vega was _really_ starting to get on my case. He put the charm away and got up. _"_I have other business to attend to. Miles, will you please take care of Mr. Caster here? I must be on my way._"_

Without even turning on the light, Vega picked up his things and headed for the door. I was so infuriated with his cocky attitude that I started to give chase, but just as I got him out of my sights, he vanished from the apartment without a single trace.

My first expression was that of loathing for that anthro trickster, but then, my anger turned to loss and I lied down on the floor, my eyes watering as I started to weep freely.

"It's not fair! I wanna change back! I deserve it! I can't believe that that cheapskate won't let me change back! IT'S NOT FAIR!!!_"_

I let out a howl to let everyone know how I was truly feeling. It just showed how upset I was in with this situation and how inhuman my current form was. I finally broke down and cried into my paws on the floor. I was so distraught that I had all but given up hope on turning back into a human.

Miles had watched my little temper tantrum and had held back to let me cry myself out. When he figured it was safe to approach me, he came up to me and kneeled next to me.

"Rio... I know how you feel._"_

"Yeah?!_"_ I snapped at him. _"_How do _you_ know how I feel?! How could you _possibly_ know how I feel?!?! YOU DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA HOW I FEEL!!!_"_

Despite my yelling, Miles didn't lose his cool. _"_You're right; I don't. But I know how it is to be a kitsune in your form. And I am not going to let you deal with this alone. I may not be able to help you steal the money, but I _can_ show you how to do it._"_

I pouted as Miles stroked my fur. Feeling fur on fur was a rather comfortable feeling. It made me feel better about being stuck in a kitsune's body.

"For once, you're right. I won't get anywhere by crying about it. I'm going to get that money if it kills me! Vega will be sorry he doubted _me!"_

Now fully charged for my mission, I stood up and made for the door. But Miles didn't seem to be as eager as I did.

"What's the big holdup?_"_ I called to him. _"_Come on!_"_

Miles frowned and gave his fur a sniff. And judging from the sour expression he was giving me, he didn't like what he was smelling.

"What's the rush? I could really use a shower and something to eat. I haven't eaten since before we left for that party and I reek like nobody's business. Can't we take a break before we head out?_"_

I wanted to ignore his complaints and go ahead with getting the money, but I realized that I was at a size disadvantage here. I knew that it was _Miles_ that was more human-like than me at the moment, so I guess I went by _his_ agenda now. So against my anxiety to get this started, I finally gave in and did what he wanted.

Before we headed out, Miles and I went to go take a shower. It was easier for Miles to work the knobs and temperature control because he had more nimble paws than I did. I didn't feel too good about being outdone by a fox, even though I _was_ one, but to make me feel better, Miles offered to wash _my_ fur first.

Feeling the water rain down on me as a kitsune was somewhat different than feeling it as a human. The water collected rather quickly in my fur, weighing me down and forcing me to lie down under the torrent. But Miles was determine to try and help me forget what I had gone through my shampooing my fur and using his fingers to work the soap into it.

I was enjoying the feeling of being bathed, but I was getting worried on how much shampoo he was using. _"_Careful, Miles. You don't need to waste it._"_

But Miles shook his head and continued to lather me up. _"_You _need_ a lot to get clean. With all this fur, you're going to need to keep it clean at every opportunity. Have you smelled what can get under that coat? At the rate you need to shower and the quantity of fur you have, you'd be lucky to go through only three bottles of shampoo a week._"_

I looked at him, marveling at how he knew all this. _"_How do you know all of this?_"_

Miles smiled. _"_I wasn't always just a stray fox in the woods. Vega once took care of me just like I'm doing now._"_

I could not believe that he was in league with Vega! _"_But what did he mean when he said you _"_earned_"_ your anthro form?_"_

Miles smiled and moved me back into the water, washing the shampoo from my fur. _"_Let's just say that I did a few things for him when I was on four legs. And what I did earned his respect and he decided to pay me back last night._"_

He obviously wasn't going to elaborate on that, so I let it be. I continued to receive this complementary cleaning by my only friend. When I was all primped and preened to perfection, Miles dried me off and the two of us traded places in the shower. But since I did not possess two opposable thumbs like he did or have long digits like he did, he had to shower on his own.

While he was in there, I turned my head around to look at my two dancing silver tails. They were nice and poofy again and they smelled great. I also looked at how they seemed to take on a life of their own and barely move under my command. This didn't seem so bad. I've always had a thing for furries and being one wasn't as bad as I had originally thought.

On the plus side, I could easily sneak around the city without being noticed. Sure, I had two tails and silver fur, but I felt that I could do anything I set my mind to. Besides, I had all of these new instincts and abilities that I was itching to try out. No, really, I was itching! There was this one spot on the back of my head that I just couldn't reach. I tilted my head back and scratched it with my back foot, taking comfort in the feeling it gave me. Oh... yeah...

But then I realized what I was doing and desisted immediately. I couldn't believe myself. I was losing the battle over my remaining humanity and giving into my natural instincts. It was like a part of me didn't want to give up control of my human mind to this lower, inferior consciousness. But then there was a presence that was trying to convince me to give up control. Life as a kitsune really wasn't that bad and as long as I had Miles, I was completely set in my new life.

I sighed and curled up on the rug outside the shower. I didn't want to give up hope just yet. There had to be a way for my two lives to live together peacefully. I just had to get that charm from Vega and then everything would be fine again.

When Miles finally finished his shower, he came out of the shower, dripping wet. Then without reaching for a towel, he shook himself dry like a dog, resulting in him looking like a giant furball.

"Hey!_"_ I barked at him, shaking my _own_ coat dry. _"_Be civilized, why don't you?! I have towels, you know!_"_

Miles shrugged and grabbed a brush to try and tame his wild fur. _"_Towels take too much time. It doesn't get in-between the tough spots and my fur ends up stinking worse than ever._"_

I groaned and rolled my eyes. _"_Are you happy now? We're both squeaky clean and both happy. Can we go try and get some money now?_"_

Miles couldn't think of anything else to do, so he shrugged and picked me up, tucking me in the crook of his arm. I grumbled to myself and went along with it. At the moment, I was the pet and he was the owner. As far as I was concerned, he called the shots at the moment.

The two of us left the apartment and headed out into the town to try and find some willing people to do a _"_four-digit discount_"_ with.

To conceal himself from the rest of the people walking around, Miles had removed his bracelet, dropping him back to all fours so that we could walk around like a pair of silver and gold foxes. No one would suspect a pair of opposite-colored, two-tailed, super-sneaky kitsunes, right? (Oy...)

To help carry the stolen money around, Miles had found a leather bag in my apartment and hung it around my neck so that I could steal and sneak on the go. Since Vega would only sell me the charm with money that came from me, I was stuck with the task of stealing it in the first place.

Miles and I hung around the suburban areas of the city, looking for some easy scores. It was too much to try and hit any of the big businesses because of all the security, so we decided to try and hit one of the smaller businesses. It was my idea to try and find some people who were having garage sales and sneak money from them, but Miles was not sure that that was a good idea. But we did it nonetheless.

We found a nice place to start out. It was an elderly woman who was selling all of her antiques to pay for her funeral (don't ask me how I knew that) and I could spot a large silver lock box on one of the tables. This was going to be _too_ easy.

"Why don't we butter her up a little?_"_ I told Miles as we staked out her residence. _"_You can draw her away from the table and I can go for the cash._"_

But Miles was adamant. _"_Sorry, but then I'd be helping. You're on you're own, Rio. I'm just watching._"_

My perfect plan was shot down in flames. It seems that Vega had been especially strict when talking to Miles about helping out. Apparently, if he even got _involved_ in my heists, he wouldn't even _show_ me the charm again. I rolled my eyes and tried to think of a Plan B.

After examining the place some more, I spotted a cat-flap door on the front door. This was my perfect opportunity to sneak in the house and take my time. The only thing I had to worry about was a possible cat.

"I think I've got an idea. Stand aside and watch me work._"_

Miles did so and I stole across the road without looking both ways and crept across the lawn towards the patio. A rack of clothes placed on the driveway shielded me from being spotted, so all I had to do was leap up onto the porch and climb through the cat flap.

Yes! I was in! Now all I had to do was find some cash. Although it pained me to steal from a defenseless old woman, I realized that she could repair any financial damages to her stash.

I crept across the kitchen to the living room and around a corner to the bedroom. This was usually where most people kept their money. I just hoped that she didn't decide to modernize and get a safe.

The bedroom smelled like stale moth balls, causing me to gag a little from my enhanced sense of smell picking it up. I improvise by sticking my nose in my fur and taking a big whiff of my still fragrant body and then holding it. It canceled out the smell, but I only had so long before I needed another pull. Oy, why old people always smelled so stale was beyond my comprehension.

I leaped onto the bed and then onto a dresser nearby with two quick bounds. I then made a beeline for a small box that read, _"_Funeral_"_. This was the ultimate sin, but for someone in my fur, I had no choice. I flipped the box open with my nose and looked inside.

Score! I had hit the jackpot! A huge wad of 50s, 20s and 10s was sitting in the small box. I couldn't even count all that money in there! I was home free!

But as I was about to stuff the entire wad in my bag, my conscious got the best of me. What was I doing? I was robbing an old lady blind just for my own personal reasons. I couldn't do that to someone I didn't even know. She could be the last one alive in her family for all I knew.

Feeling that I was going to regret this later, I stuffed the wad back in the box but did not leave it there. I was still a thief and if a thief chickened out on a score like this, it would be the ultimate embarrassment. So against my better judgment, I separated four of the many 50s with my muzzle and stuffed them into my bag. It may be only $200, but I was not done with my crime spree just yet. I was going to go for a bigger and better score once I got done here.

As I was making my way out of the bedroom, my ears suddenly perked up. There was something moving in this house and it was not loud enough to be human. But it was still _big!_ I prayed and hoped that it wasn't what I thought it was. But when I got out to the kitchen, everything went bad.

Oh... (expletive), this was bad. This was everything I dreaded would happen to me. A full-grown German Shepard was standing in the hallway, staring me down. I had never seen a dog so big in my life! But then again, I never had this kind of perspective before.

The dog and I looked at each other, unsure which of us was the most surprised to see each other. But then, the dog started growling and barking at me. I knew that those teeth could do a pretty hefty job on my frame, so I decided to hightail it out of here.

I darted in-between the dog's legs, popping out on the other side. It took a snap at my tails but missed. It then made quite a racket barking and growling at me as I ran for my life. But in my confusion, I forgot where the front door was and ended up taking a wrong turn into the living room. I was backed into a corner with $200 in stolen cash with a monster of a dog staring me in the face. Could things get any worse?

I guess it could. Just then, the old woman came in to see what all the commotion was. When she saw me, she screamed and went to a cupboard to grab a very real and very large shotgun. Since when did Granny pack a blaster _that_ big?! She took aim at me and my instincts kicked in. My legs moved on their own as fresh hole appeared in the carpet where I had been standing a split second earlier. I darted around the dog and the couch and ran at Kamikaze Granny head-on. I just barely avoided a second shot in the tile floor and made it into the entryway before jumping through the cat-flap and out into the fresh air.

"RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!!_"_ I barked, nearly colliding with Miles, who had come to warn me about Granny. The two of us tumbled over each other and lied there, dazed for a moment. But as the door began to open, we recovered quick enough to run for our lives with Granny yelling after us.

"THIEF!!! It's got my money!!! Catch that fox!!! Don't let it get away!!!_"_

Granny had some pretty good lungs for someone of her age and some people were alerted to our flight. Some of them gave chase after us and others released dogs to pursue us, but they were held up when Miles and I darted in-between cars and trees, slowing down and stopping a good number of them.

Pretty soon, we were on our way back to my apartments with $200 in stolen cash without anyone on our four tails any longer.

"I... will... never... do... that... again!_"_ I panted as we climbed the steps to my apartment. Miles had put his bracelet back on and was once again an anthro kitsune. _"_I... hate... dogs... and... guns!_"_

"It'll be fine,_"_ said Miles, stopping to catch his breath before he opened the door. _"_At least you got some money. It should be enough for Vega's charm._"_

Speaking of Vega, the moment we got into the living room, the anthro fox was once again sitting on my couch, watching my TV like he lived there. The moment I saw him, I dug my claws into the carpet and growled at him.

"You!_"_ I barked at him. _"_What are _you_ doing here?!_"_

Vega simply turned off the TV and looked down at me. _"_I was simply waiting here for you to return from your first heist. It seems that you hit a little snag on your first run. Don't worry; it happens._"_ When I continued to frown at him, he simply sighed and looked at Miles. _"_So, how did he do?_"_

I thought that he had some nerve to address Miles instead of me, so I spoke up anyway. _"_I got $200 in cash! Now give me that charm!_"_

Vega did not answer right away. Instead, he went over to the balcony and slid the door open. Walking out onto the second floor patio, he leaned up against the railing before answering.

"I'm afraid that that is not even _close_ to enough money to pay for my charm. I'm disappointed in you. You could have taken it all and yet you showed sympathy for one who nearly shot your head off. You are an insult to kitsune kind._"_

The sheer injustice of what he had just said nearly tore my heart in two. I could not believe that I wasn't even close to paying for that charm! Not only that, but he was right! I had had a chance to take far more money than I had originally taken and it was finally coming back to bite my in the backside. He may be a sneaky, wretched anthro, but he was right. I _was_ no good! I had made a mockery of my new species and I felt absolutely terrible for it. It wasn't fair! I tried! I really tried! I tried and it _still_ wasn't enough! IT WAS NOT FAIR!!!

Tears welling up in my eyes, I blacked out for a moment as my kitsune instincts kicked in and I ran at the balcony, tearing off the bag around my neck in the process. With one solid leap, I jumped from the balcony 20 feet from the ground and tumbled painfully on my landing. I was not hurt much, but I didn't care. Crying freely, I ran away, not caring where my kitsune mind took me. I wanted to be alone to wallow in my sorrow. I just wanted to be alone...

I didn't stop running until I ended up clocking heads with another animal about five blocks from my apartment. The two of us fell apart, dazed and confused. We had just head-butted each other and were trying to shake the cobwebs out of out skulls. When I finally had the sense to look up at what I had hit, I stopped dead.

I could have sworn that I had seen this creature before. It wasn't very common, but there was something familiar about it. The baby-blue orbs that made up its eyes seemed familiar, but it was its fur that jump-started my memory. It was one of the purest whites I had ever seen before, but the appearance of its four feathery wings finally gave me a name.

"Seryn the Flammie?_"_ I asked it, unsure that it would understand me. It looked a lot like the Flammie I had seen on my friend, Skyle's shoulder back at our video game party.

But when it spoke, I knew that this was not her. _"_My name isn't Seryn, but I do know her. How do _you_ know her?_"_

That voice... it sounded so familiar. _"_I saw someone like you at a party I was at just a few days ago. She looked a lot like you._"_

The Flammie blinked. _"_That's weird. I saw someone like _you_ at a party around the same time._"_

Just then, it hit the two of us.

"Skyle?!_"_

"Rio?!_"_

Sure enough, this was my best friend, Skyle Kelvin. I recognized his voice anywhere. The only problem was...

"What happened to _you?"_ the two of us said at once.

"You start,_"_ said Skyle.

I sighed and looked back in the direction of my apartments. I then told him everything that had happened since the party. From the time that I started growing fur at the party to my painful transformation at home to Vega appearing overnight to my first heist to pay for a charm that would change me back.

Skyle's story was strikingly similar. _His _transformation had happened _after_ the party after he became violently ill that night. That explained why he had gone to his room before I had left. Unfortunately for me, _his_ transformation was not as painful as mine was. He later found out that it was the result of Seryn biting him when he first got her that turned him into a Flammie. And like me, Vega had showed up to give Seryn the ability to become an anthro while he had been left in the dark. But unlike me, he had not specified when Skyle could change back. Up until now, he had simply lived life with Seryn as a Flammie. She had felt sorry for him and had removed her charm to live on four legs like he was. He then went on to describe his first flight in the moonlight as a Flammie and the wonderful feeling he had gotten from the moon's rays. He had simply been out for a walk when he had run into me. Why he hadn't decided to fly instead was a question that not even HE could answer. It was just Fate.

We were so busy talking with each other that we didn't realize that Miles and Seryn had tracked us down and were sitting side-by-side on a bench just across the park. They were watching us talk with each other and were discussing the friendship between us, even though we were opposite species.

Finally, my ears perked up and I looked off in their direction. When I saw the creamy-yellow Flammie and the golden-yellow fox watching us, I frowned and looked back at Skyle.

"I have a score to settle with him. Come with me._"_

Skyle nodded and followed me over to the bench where the two furries were sitting next to each other. I frowned and looked up at Miles.

"Haven't you caused me enough trouble already? I just want to be alone!_"_

But Miles shook his head. _"_I just thought that you'd want to have this._"_ He opened his paw and held a small violet charm on a golden chain in front of me.

I stared at it. _"_How did you get that? I thought I didn't have enough._"_

Miles placed the chain in front of me and chuckled. _"_You should know by now never to take a fox seriously all the time. They can trick you without even a flicker of emotion and rob you blind without you feeling a thing. You left before Vega could say that he had dropped the price just for you._"_

I suddenly felt terribly embarrassed for not sticking around for the final irony. I looked up at Miles, opened my mouth, closed it again and shook my head. I guess I still had a lot to learn. So to improvise, I slipped my right paw into the golden chain and used my teeth to move it up onto my ankle.

Almost instantly, I felt my body start to shift in size and weight. There were not very many physical changes, but all I did was kind of stand up and stretch, shifting from a quadruped to a biped in just a few seconds. My digits grew out a little and became five-fingered hands while my center of gravity shifted so that I could stand on two legs again.

Skyle looked up at me as I looked over my new form. I hadn't changed back into a human at all. Instead, I had simply grown in size a little and went from a quadruped to a biped just like Miles. In fact, the only difference between us was that I had silver-and-white fur while he had golden-yellow, black and white fur.

I looked at my anthro form with some disappointment. _"_I thought I was going to change back._"_

But Miles seemed to be expecting this. _"_You'll probably never be human again, but is life as an anthro kitsune really all that bad?_"_

I looked over myself again. _"_You know... maybe not. I guess I could get used to this._"_

Now that my transformation was taken care of, it was Skyle and Seryn's turn to look at each other. _"_Seryn, what about _my_ charm? Did Vega say anything while I was gone?_"_

Seryn sadly shook her head. _"_I'm sorry, love. Vega couldn't do anything about your form. He only had the one charm that I have. I've very sorry._"_

If Skyle was feeling upset, he was doing a pretty good job of holding it in. He simply looked up at Seryn and sighed, shaking his head. _"_I guess these things can't be helped. I guess I can get used to life as a Flammie._"_

Seryn smiled and allowed Skyle to jump up on his lap. I suddenly realized that he was the same size as Seryn had been back at the party. He was practically a Pygmy Flammie. But Seryn could have passed for a large human with her size. I could just imagine the irony that Skyle must have been feeling at the moment.

"Now that we got that out of the way,_"_ I said, twirling my tails nervously. _"_What do we do now? We can't exactly go out in public like this for very long. I doubt people see many Flammies or anthro kitsunes in the world very often._"_

"Why don't we go live at my place?_"_ suggested Skyle. _"_I've got more than enough space for all of us and I'm sure Seryn wouldn't object to that._"_ He looked up at Seryn, who smiled and shook her head. _"_I don't mind at all. Besides, Vega had a surprise waiting for us when we got back._"_

I liked surprises, so I patted Miles on the back and said, _"_Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!_"_

We could think of nothing better to do, so we all headed back to Skyle's house to start our new lives together.

When we got there, there was an assortment of gifts waiting in two separate baskets on Skyle's table. One was labeled, _"_Skyle and Seryn_"_ while the other one read, _"_Rio and Miles_"_.

In the kitsunes' basket, there were two six-packs of shampoo, a grooming brush and other kitsune grooming products. Apparently, Vega cared about our hygiene as well as out well-being. There were also two pairs of white gloved with our names stitched onto the backs of them along with two pairs of shoes that mimicked the original Tails' design. Well, wasn't that nice of him? With these, we could look more like the original Tails than ever before. Finally, there was a small handbook called, _"_The art of tails_"_. A quick flip through it showed me that it was everything we needed to know about how to mimic the real Tails' abilities. This was going to be a good read.

The only thing in the Flammies' basket was a hardcover book called, _"_Flammie Arts – A Novice's Guide_"_. Apparently, this was instructions on how to live life as a Flammie to its fullest. Skyle would get more out of this book than Seryn would since he wasn't a natural-born Flammie.

We said nothing as we sorted through our things and put them away someplace safe. When it was all _not_ said and done, Miles went over to the TV where Skyle had his Wii set up. Turning to us, he pointed to it and said just two words: _"_Play ya?_"_

This was going to be interesting to play video games as a quartet of furries, but we were all up to the challenge. We all grabbed a controller and fired up Mario Party 8. This was going to be interesting and I couldn't wait to see how our new lives were going to play out.

While they were playing, a hooded figure watched through the outside window. He felt satisfied that he had changed two more lives with his amazing products. Vega knew that they were going to be all right with their new lives and no longer needed him. His work finished, Vega shouldered his pack, turned, walked a few steps... and vanished completely. Two more satisfied customers in the world of Anthro Anthology.

**END**

(Get Skyle's side of the story in _"_Anthro Anthology – Flammie)

Coming soon from shadowlugia249:

"The Plushtopia Chronicles – Sidian_"_ – A plush dragon TF and adventure

"Ay Yai Yoshi_"_ – A Yoshi TF

"A Mew Way Two Far_"_ – A Mewtwo costume TF

"Latex Lore Chapter 4: Plastic Payback_"_ – Seryn's Mission


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